Data Visualization and Reporting
Jenna Gabrio, MPH
Research Public Health Analyst
RTI International
Livermore, California, United States
Darigg Brown, PhD, MPH
Behavioral Scientist and Program Manager
RTI International, United States
Kirsty Weitzel, MS
Research Data Scientist
RTI International, United States
Anna Godwin, MS (she/her/hers)
Research Data Scientist
RTI International, United States
Ian Thomas, BA
Research Data Scientist and Program Manager
RTI International, North Carolina, United States
Chris Coxen, MS, BS
Data Scientist
RTI International, United States
Malinda Gowin, MPH
Data Analyst
Georgia Dept of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, Office of Behavioral Health Prevention and Federal Grants, United States
Donna Dent, MS, MISM, ICPS
Assistant Director
Georgia Dept of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, Office of Behavioral Health Prevention and Federal Grants, United States
Jill Mays, LPC
Director
Georgia Dept of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, Office of Behavioral Health Prevention and Federal Grants, United States
Jenna Gabrio, MPH
Research Public Health Analyst
RTI International
Livermore, California, United States
Ian Thomas, BA
Research Data Scientist and Program Manager
RTI International, North Carolina, United States
Darigg Brown, PhD, MPH
Behavioral Scientist and Program Manager
RTI International, United States
Location: Grand Ballroom 3
Abstract Information: The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities and RTI International are collaborating to develop a storytelling tool to advance the prevention field in Georgia. The Georgia Prevention Data Hub is a digital resource linking prevention-related materials and resources from multiple national and state-based sources. It is designed to increase access and use of data related to substance abuse, suicide, mental health, and relevant social indicators to connect science to service for improved outcomes. The Data Hub aids in the assessment of needs and the evaluation of both statewide and community-level risk factors, interventions, and outcomes by enabling users to generate detailed data visualizations. Users are then able to engage in the storytelling tradition by curating relevant components from the Data Hub and transmitting those stories in a visually engaging and focused manner. This session will present three components of storytelling through data visualization as facilitated by the Data Hub: • Gathering and Synthesizing Data to Discover Stories – We employed a rigorous and methodical curation process to compile data and content for the Georgia Prevention Data Hub, the foundation from which stories can be unearthed. The team created a framework for identifying and collecting data sources and materials, which involved comprehensive review of publicly available data sources. To be able to tell a more complete story, the team carefully considered additional information that was needed to fill anticipated data gaps and determined what needed to be collected via special request. Strategies for gathering, organizing, processing, storing, and synthesizing information from numerous and varied sources will be discussed. • Designing and Constructing Data Visualization Tool to Reveal Stories –We conceptualized the design and developed a plan for displaying a variety of content types (including Tableau data visualizations, reports, fact sheets, maps, and other publications) in a manner that is easy to navigate. We developed a centralized system connecting flows for storing, sharing, and linking, data producers with consumers and services via the Data Hub. The ongoing need to keep the content up to date was at the forefront of the design plan, and the team employed open-source data extraction, transformation and validation tools to automate this work where possible. Strategies employed to simplify content creation, including building Tableau data visualization templates and data scraping tools, will also be discussed. • Utilizing the Data Visualization Tool to Transmit Stories – We will demonstrate the storytelling capacities of the Data Hub, guiding users through primary components and culling stories from platform content. We will highlight strategies for evaluating county-level factors and conveying findings in story-format. We will also model the Data Hub through various stakeholder lenses to demonstrate its versatility and the diversity of stories it may tell.
Relevance Statement: Online repositories can contain a variety of information on behavioral health issues, their consequences, and related social indicators, and they can be very useful as a one-stop shop for a variety of users (including funding agencies, community organizations, and evaluators). Repositories such as the Georgia Prevention Data Hub that present state- and county-level data, as well as other national or external resources, offer convenience and facilitate data exploration and needs assessment activities. The Data Hub also provides a means for measuring outcomes in a single platform. Data visualization is a cornerstone of such online repositories and is meant to increase accessibility and use of large amounts of data in both planning and evaluation activities. This proposal adds knowledge to the evaluation field by disseminating strategies and approaches for consolidating data and constructing tools to identify and communicate findings from the data. This session will describe how data visualization can be used as a tool for storytelling and why the Georgia Prevention Data Hub, as a centralized resource, can serve as a model for sharing and linking data across different entities. As the use of data visualizations and dashboards grows, we expect they will become more sophisticated and interactive. As such, they will become more integral to sourcing data for evaluation purposes and for demonstrating the effectiveness of community-based prevention strategies.
Presenter: Ian Thomas, BA – RTI International
Presenter: Chris Coxen, MS, BS – RTI International
Presenter: Malinda Gowin, MPH – Georgia Dept of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, Office of Behavioral Health Prevention and Federal Grants
Presenter: Donna Dent, MS, MISM, ICPS – Georgia Dept of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, Office of Behavioral Health Prevention and Federal Grants
Presenter: Jill Mays, LPC – Georgia Dept of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, Office of Behavioral Health Prevention and Federal Grants
Presenter: Kirsty Weitzel, MS – RTI International
Presenter: Evan Bunnage, BS – RTI International
Presenter: Jenna Gabrio, MPH – RTI International
Presenter: Darigg Brown, PhD, MPH – RTI International
Presenter: Anna Godwin, MS (she/her/hers) – RTI International
Presenter: Rebecca Watkins, BS – RTI International